The Only Choice
by Handwithquill
Summary: Written before Season 4 started based on some of the theories on Tumblr about what would happen with the Belle-Rumple-dagger issue. Rumple makes the only choice he thinks will help.


Title: The only choice

Rating: PG

Paring: RumBelle

Summary and A/N: People keep talking about Belle, Rumple, the Dagger and what should happen when Belle finds out. This is my take on one popular theory of what should happen. It's _**ANGSTY. **_I wanted pure unadulterated how-could-you-do-this-to-me angst, but I'm not that talented. At this point, I'm not even sure this makes sense, but I'm posting it anyway.

There were four antique clocks that stood to the right of the door to the Pawn Shop in Storybrook. The owner of the shop tried to ignore them as they ticked off the seconds of his life. But still, as they chimed that it was quarter 'til noon, he stood and approached the window. He made sure to stand a few steps back so no one looking would be able to see him. It was the full fifteen minutes before the door he fixed his eyes on opened as Belle left the Library for lunch.

His own stomach grumbled and for half a second he contemplated going to Granny's as well, but firmly pushed that thought away. She wanted space and he would give her that. His hand came up to feel the object in his inner jacket pocket.

He knew she wouldn't be happy when she found out, and there was no part of him that ever thought she wouldn't, but he hoped that she would understand his reasoning for keeping the dagger and for killing Zelena. He wasn't expecting his wife of four months to wear a well know look of disappointment as she told him that while she _did_ understand his reasoning, that he had been through a lot, and maybe he needed help and would he considering seeing Archie?

He had agreed, nodding emphatically and reached out for her hand. But she tugged it back, shaking her head. He had to do this on his own, she said, tears filling her eyes. Said that she couldn't help, that had to want this for himself before they could be together. That was the only way she could trust him not to lie to her again.

He had sank to the couch in the living room as she ran upstairs. He continued to sit there, heart pounding, scarcely breathing, as she brought one, then a second bag down and set it by the door. He was barely aware when the wofl-girl showed up took one bag, Belle the other, and left the house.

The next thing he was conscious was laying halfway on his side on the couch, as if he tipped over while sitting, there was light coming in the window and someone knocking on the door. They were getting insistent. He ignored it and pulled his legs up on the couch and let the world black out.

He thought sometime had passed when the noise returned and Sheriff Swan was kneeling in front of him. Dr. Hopper was standing behind her. That was six months ago and standing at the Pawn Shop window between 12 and 12:30, was the closes he had been to his wife.

She was returning now, crossing the street back to the Library, just about to open the door, when someone called to her. She turned, smiled and his breath caught as she talked to Archie. She looked happy. He smiled to see her so happy. She glowed, his light.

He wondered what they were talking about when she frowned sightly, eyes darting down to his shop. He stepped back even thought it was too far away for her to see inside. He had given the cricket permission to tell her whatever she wanted to know about his sessions, hoping that she would be able to see that he was trying. Whatever Hopper said must not have been too bad as she smiled almost immediately. She bid him goodbye and they parted ways. She stood there for a few seconds longer, looking at his shop, before going into the Library.

He pretend that she knew he was there and was staring straight into him as she always did. The phone rang and he brought his hand up to what was inside his pocket again. He kept her smile in his mind as he made the last arrangement he needed. He smile made it all worthwhile.

Belle flopped down on her couch as she entered her apartment. She had spent the last fifteen minutes trying to shoo Tom Clarke out of the Library before he could tell her _again _about his second adventure with the town line. She did admire him for volunteering to be the one to cross the town line to see if they were stuck here after the second curse broke, after making sure the Blue Fairy had some memory re-storing potion first, of course. They learned that this time, it had to be made with hair of the person from before they went over the line. After he took the potion and became Sneezy again, it became his favorite story to tell.

She sighed. What she wanted more then anything right then was Rumple. She missed him terribly. Everyday with out him was painful. She sighed again, flipped off her shoes and was reaching for a book when there was a knock. And not on the apartment door, but he door leading to the stairs to her door. She frowned as she put the book down and exited the apartment to see who it was.

"Rumple!" She smiled, delighted to see him here. She had been getting worried, especially after what Archie had told her earlier that day. She had been happy when Archie had told her that Rumple was letting her know what was happening in his sessions. Whenever the Doctor filled her it, it let her feel a little closer to her husband.

When she was returning from lunch and had run into Archie, he had told her that he thought Rumple was making good progress. That something about in the last few sessions changed. He also told her that for the last few sessions, he had been encouraging Rumple to seek her out, that it might be a good time for them to work on their issues as a couple.

She had frowned at that. Besides the rare glimpse of him around Storybrook, she hadn't seen her husband is six months. And in those glimpse, he has shied away when he saw her. As much as it hurt, she left it alone, waiting until he was ready to come to her. Archie had soothed her fears, suggesting that maybe he needed a little nudge and asked if she would come to the next session. She had agreed, but maybe it wouldn't be necessary since he had come to her.

"Belle," He gave her a tight smile as he leaned back against his Cadillac. "I won't disturb you to long," he told her, reaching into his jacket and pulled out a think envelop. "I just wanted to give you this," he handed it over, "and this." He reached into the front seat of the car and handed over a shoebox. She took it, it wasn't too heavy. "I won't take up any more of your time."

He stared at her for a moment longer, and something about it scared her. Not of him, but it reminded her of the way he looked at her when- she shook that thought away, they were past that. He shook his own head and rounded the car, got in, and took off. She frowned, confused, and made her way back up stairs. She put the box on the coffee table and opened the envelop.

Her frowned got deeper as she went through the pages. She was never one for contracts, but it looked like... she started to franticly page through and was shaking by the end of the document.

Every Single One.

Every single one of his Storybrook properties were now in her name.

The next document stated that two-thirds of his bank account was now hers as well.

The third document is what brought tears to her eyes, making it so she could barely see the post-it note _em_"_you just need to sign and file"__/em__. _ She threw it on the coffee table and grabbed her phone. 

em_"I'm sorry, but the number you have dialed had been disconnected."/em_

she threw phone on top of the document and it landed just under the title, seeming to underline it" _emb_'**Decree of Divorce'**_/em/b_

No! He was not doing this to them. She grabbed the phone again, ready to go to the house to confront him, but she knocked into the shoebox and the sounds from inside stopped her.

With great trepidation, she lifted the lid and pulled out the letter waiting for her. Two of the things inside were what she expected. The cup and the dagger. The other two were what had throat closing on a sob as she read the letter.

_em_"_Belle,/em _

_ emThis is the only choice. I love you and I can never stop. I have always known that I wasn't what you needed. Watching you these past few months has been both painful and enlightening. You've glowed, Sweetheart, just as you've always have. I've seen how much you are accepted here in Storybrook, how you light up everyone's life. And I see how happy you've become. And I can't take that away from you. But we both know that I am a selfishly cowardly man and I don't trust myself not to do the right thing for you. You're free now, sweetheart, truly free. It will be easy for you to find someone to love you, but I hope, in time, you will be able to find someone who will be what you what them to be. I'm sorry that I can't be who you want me to be. I will assume since you left it on the bedside table that you won't mind if I take you wedding ring with me. It will stay on a chain around my neck, even if I don't know why. I will love you always./em_

_emRumpelstiltskin"/em_

Tears started to drip from her chin as she dropped the letter and reached out and picked up the only hair brush Rumple owned. Sob wracked her body as she felt the bristles, but they were clean, no stray hairs. She dropped it as she pulled Bae's shawl out and curled around it.


End file.
